Leader of the House of Lords

House of Lords: Tabling Questions for Written Answer

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: It has been agreed through the usual channels that the date for tabling Questions for Written Answer during the Summer Recess this year will be Monday 5 October.

Ministry of Defence

UK Embedded Forces

Earl Howe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Michael Fallon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.UK Armed Forces regularly have embeds in the forces of our close partners. Embedded UK personnel operate as if they were the host nation’s personnel, under that nation’s chain of command, but remain subject to UK domestic, international and Host Nation law. Our partners likewise have personnel operating under UK command. Embeds allow the UK military personnel to gain direct experience of key capabilities and equipment; make a positive contribution to our defence relationship with our closest allies; and can directly contribute to enhancing the UK’s military capability. Embeds aboard the US Carriers have ranged from aircraft handlers to pilots; they have been crucial to developing our own Queen Elizabeth class carriers, and the handling of F35B aircraft. UK personnel have embedded with other nations’ air forces since the 1950s. In recent years, UK personnel embedded with US air forces have participated in operations in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, and with the French and Dutch in Mali. The UK currently has over 250 exchange personnel in the armed forces of allies including the US, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany. Ministerial approval is required for UK embeds deployed with allied forces on operations. Since the international Coalition commenced military operations against ISIL last year, up to 80 UK personnel have been embedded with US, Canadian and French forces. They have undertaken a range of roles including planning, training and flying and supporting combat and surveillance missions. A small number of embedded UK pilots have carried out airstrikes in Syria against ISIL targets: none are currently involved in airstrikes. The convention that before troops are committed to military operations the House of Commons should have an opportunity to debate the matter, except in the event of an emergency, applies to the deployment of UK forces. UK personnel embedded within other nations’ armed forces operate as members of that military.

HM Treasury

ECOFIN: 14 July 2015

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: My right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer (George Osborne) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council was held in Brussels on 14 July 2015. Ministers discussed the following items:Current Legislative ProposalsThe Presidency informed delegations about the state of play of current legislative proposals in the field of financial services. Presentation of the work programme of the Luxembourg Presidency The Luxembourg Presidency presented its six-month work programme in the ECOFIN area. Five Presidents' Report: Completing Europe's Economic and Monetary Union The Commission presented the Five Presidents’ report on the plan for completing Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union. There was an exchange of views on short term measures.   


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Annual Report under the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Harriett Baldwin) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.The Annual Report to Parliament under the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012 for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 has today been laid before Parliament. The report is prepared in line with the requirements set out in the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012 that the government reports annually to Parliament on the financial assistance given under the act. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. 


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Operation of the UK’s Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime:

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: My honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Harriett Baldwin) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement.Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (”TAFA 2010”), the Treasury is required to report to Parliament, quarterly, on its operation of the UK’s asset freezing regime mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1373.This is the seventeenth report under the Act and it covers the period from 1 April 2015 to 30 June 2015. This report also covers the UK implementation of the UN Al-Qaida asset freezing regime and the operation of the EU asset freezing regime in the UK under EU Regulation (EC) 2580/2001 which implements UNSCR 1373 against external terrorist threats to the EU. Under the UN Al-Qaida asset freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the Al-Qaida (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011. Under EU Regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under Part 1 of TAFA 2010.Annexes A and B to this statement provide a breakdown, by name, of all those designated by the UK and the EU in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1373. The two individuals subject to designations, which have been notified on a restricted and confidential basis, under Sections 3 and 10 of TAFA 2010 are denoted by A and B.The attached table sets out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter ending 30 June 2015Legal Proceedings1. The appeal brought by Gulam MASTAFA against a number of government departments including the Treasury, remains stayed.2. The appeal brought by Zana RAHIM continues to progress towards completion.3. Proceedings were filed on 29 May 2014 at the High Court appealing against the Treasury’s decision to renew MF’s designation under TAFA 2010. The final hearing took place on 29 April 2015, where MF’s appeal was dismissed.4. Moazzem BEGG, who was previously designated under TAFA 2010, lodged an appeal on 3rd November 2014, challenging the Treasury’s decision to revoke rather than quash his designation. These proceedings were on-going during the reporting period.5. Two individuals designated under TAFA 2010 lodged appeals against their designations on 27 May 2015.6. There were no criminal proceedings in respect of breaches of asset freezes made under TAFA 2010. Annex A: Designated persons under TAFA 2010 by name[1] INDIVIDUALS 1. Hamed ABDOLLAHI 2. Bilal Talal ABDULLAH 3. Imad Khalil AL-ALAMI 4. Abdelkarim Hussein AL-NASSER 5. Ibrahim Salih AL-YACOUB 6. Ruhul AMIN 7. Manssor ARBABSIAR 8. Usama HAMDAN 9. Nur Idiris HASSAN NUR 10. Nabeel HUSSAIN 11. Hasan IZZ-AL-DIN 12. Mohammed KHALED 13.Parviz KHAN 14. Reyaad KHAN 15. Musa Abu MARZOUK 16. Khalid MISHAAL 17. Khalid Shaikh MOHAMMED 18. Aseel MUTHANA 19. Nasser MUTHANA 20. Abdul Reza SHAHLAI 21. Ali Gholam SHAKURI 22. Qasem SOLEIMANI 23. A (restricted designation)   ENTITIES 1. BASQUE FATHERLAND AND LIBERTY (ETA) 2. EJERCITO DE LIBERACION NACIONAL (ELN) 3. FUERZAS ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS DE COLOMBIA (FARC) 4. HIZBALLAH MILITARY WING, INCLUDING EXTERNAL SECURITY ORGANISATION 5. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE - GENERAL COMMAND (PFLP-GC) 6. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP) 7. SENDERO LUMINOSO (SL) Annex B: Persons designated by the EU under Council Regulation (EC)2580/2001[2] PERSONS 1. Hamed ABDOLLAHI* 2. Abdelkarim Hussein AL-NASSER* 3. Ibrahim Salih AL YACOUB* 4. Manssor ARBABSIAR* 5. Mohammed BOUYERI 6. Hasan IZZ-AL-DIN* 7. Khalid Shaikh MOHAMMED* 8. Abdul Reza SHAHLAI* 9. Ali Gholam SHAKURI* 10. Qasem SOLEIMANI*  GROUPS AND ENTITIES  1. ABU NIDAL ORGANISATION (ANO) 2. AL-AQSA E.V. 3. AL-AQSA MARTYRS' BRIGADE 4. BABBAR KHALSA 5. COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES, INCLUDING NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY (NPA), PHILIPPINES 6. DEVRIMCI HALK KURTULU PARTISI-CEPHESI — DHKP/C (REVOLUTIONARY PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY/FRONT/PARTY) 7. EJÉRCITO DE LIBERACIÓN NACIONAL (NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY)* 8. FUERZAS ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS DE COLOMBIA (FARC)* 9. GAMA'A AL-ISLAMIYYA (A.K.A. AL-GAMA'A AL-ISLAMIYYA) (ISLAMIC GROUP — IG) 10. HAMAS, INCLUDING HAMAS-IZZ AL-DIN AL-QASSEM 11. HIZBALLAH MILITARY WING, INCLUDING EXTERNAL SECURITY ORGANISATION 12. HIZBUL MUJAHIDEEN (HM) 13. HOFSTADGROEP 14. INTERNATIONAL SIKH YOUTH FEDERATION (ISYF) 15. İSLAMI BÜYÜK DOĞU AKINCILAR CEPHESI (IBDA-C) (GREAT ISLAMIC EASTERN WARRIORS FRONT) 16. KHALISTAN ZINDABAD FORCE (KZF) 17. KURDISTAN WORKERS PARTY (PKK) (A.K.A. KONGRA-GEL) 18. LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) 19. PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD (PIJ) 20. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE — GENERAL COMMAND (PFLP-GC)* 21. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP)* 22. SENDERO LUMINOSO (SL) (SHINING PATH)* 23. TEYRBAZEN AZADIYA KURDISTAN (TAK)  [1] For full listing details please refer to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-terrorism-and-terrorist-financing[2] For full listing details please refer to www.gov.uk* EU listing rests on UK designation under TAFA 2010 



Terrorist Asset Freezing Quarter 2
(PDF Document, 30.53 KB)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Further Education

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Skills (Nick Boles) has today made the following statement. The Government’s Productivity Plan: Fixing Foundations sets out the government’s ambition for a professional and technical education system that provides individuals with clear, high-quality routes to employment, and that supports the government’s overall fiscal and economic objectives.   These objectives can only delivered by strong institutions, which have the high status and specialism required to deliver credible routes to employment and progression in the labour market. Providers also need to be more efficient to ensure institutional stability, and to make best use of scarce public resources.   As joint Minister for skills for BIS and DfE, I am today publishing a policy statement setting out how we will facilitate a restructuring of the post-16 education and training sector, through a series of area based reviews of provision.   The reviews, which will focus on FE and Sixth Form Colleges, will be led by steering groups consisting of chairs of governors, LEPs and local authorities, FE and Sixth Form College Commissioners and Regional Schools Commissioners. Under their oversight, the reviews will undertake analysis, consider options and propose solutions. Colleges remain independent institutions, and I expect governing bodies to use the process to make informed decisions on structures to support the best outcomes for learners and employers, and long term stability.   We will actively encourage local authorities and LEPs to drive these pieces of work in partnership with the Commissioners. Where combined authorities with devolution arrangements are in place we would expect them to take lead.   This approach will enable a transition towards fewer, larger, more resilient and efficient providers, and more effective collaboration across institution types. A critical aspect will be to create greater specialisation, with the establishment of institutions that are genuine centres of expertise, able to support sustained progression in professional and technical disciplines, alongside excellence in other fundamental areas – such as English and maths. This will ensure that we have the right capacity to provide good education and training for our young people across England, and will include the creation of a new network of prestigious Institutes of Technology, and National Colleges to deliver high standard provision at levels 3, 4 and 5.   We have already piloted the area based approach in Norfolk and Suffolk and in Nottingham. I am announcing today that the first full area based review will take place in Birmingham. The Birmingham review will have an initial focus on FE Colleges in Birmingham City and Solihull, but will have scope to consider a broader geography and range of provision where relevant. We will take forward the review in partnership with individual institutions, the local authorities and the LEP.   I welcome views on this policy statement, and will issue fuller guidance on the process for reviews in the coming weeks.   The report is available online at www.gov.uk.   



Reviewing post 16 education and training 
(PDF Document, 248.68 KB)





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Audit and auditor regulation

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government will require all public interest entities i.e. listed companies, banks, building societies and relevant insurers to put their audit out to tender at least every 10 years and change their auditor at least every 20 years. The Government also intends that public interest entities that retendered audit engagements should benefit from transitional recognition of that re-tender where possible. The Government intends that the Financial Reporting Council (the “FRC”) should be the UK competent authority for the regulation of auditors, but that legislation will require it to delegate regulatory tasks so far as is possible to recognised supervisory bodies that meet criteria set out in the legislation. Overall this would mean the FRC would only have to conduct audit inspections, investigations and disciplinary cases in relation to public interest entities, and would oversee the work of the recognised supervisory bodies for other audits. It would still be open to a recognised supervisory body to ask the FRC to agree to undertake work that would otherwise have been delegated to the recognised supervisory bodies. As now the FRC would also have the ability to take over any particular inspection or investigation if it deemed it to be in the public interest. To minimise the compliance cost for business the FRC and the recognised supervisory bodies will be obliged to cooperate with each other, and the legislation will provide they should all be able to rely on each other’s work. The Government does not intend to make statutory provision for the regulation of accountants. This would be a matter for the professional bodies. The Government will publish a more detailed consultation in the coming months building on its further consideration of the responses to the Discussion Document that my Department published last December. The Government also welcomes the agreement of the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority to update the existing rules on Audit Committees. 


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Department for Energy and Climate Change

Implementing Geological Disposal: Publication of the Fifth Annual Report

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: My Hon Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change (Andrea Leadsom) has today made the following statement. I am pleased to announce today the publication of the fifth annual report of the Government’s Implementing Geological Disposal Programme. The programme is focused on implementing the geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. The UK Government remains firmly committed to geological disposal as the right policy for the long-term safe and secure management of higher-activity radioactive waste, and continues to favour a voluntarist approach based on working with communities that are willing to participate in the siting process.   The publication of the Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper in July 2014 set out the policy framework for the future implementation of geological disposal in the UK. Government has been progressing the ‘Initial Actions’ set out in the White Paper, and formal discussions between interested communities and the developer will not begin until the ‘Initial Actions’ have been completed.   The 5th annual report can be found at: http://www.gov.uk/decc. I have also written to the Chairs of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee and the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, and I have made available copies in the Libraries of the House.

Home Office

National Crime Agency Remuneration Review Body

Lord Bates: My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:The second report of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Remuneration Review Body was published today. In line with my letter setting the Body’s remit, it has made recommendations on pay and allowances for NCA officers designated with operational powers. I wish to express my thanks to the Chairman and members of the Review Body for their careful consideration of the evidence.Following an independent review of the evidence supplied by the NCA, the Home Office, Her Majesty’s Treasury and the relevant trade unions, the NCA Remuneration Review Body has recommended various pay increases with an average annual award increase of approximately one per cent. This is in line with the Government’s policy that public sector annual awards should average up to one per cent for 2015/16. I accept these recommendations in full.Copies of the NCA Remuneration Review Body’s second report are available in the Vote Office and on GOV.UK.


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Visa Requirements for Tier 1

Lord Bates: My rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Immigration (James Brokenshire) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:I am announcing today that from 1 September 2015, individuals who are applying for entry clearance as an Entrepreneur or an Investor under the Tier 1 category will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from any country in which they have lived for 12 months or more in the previous ten years.Under the previous Government we changed the Immigration Rules to introduce a requirement to provide an overseas criminal record certificate where that is required. We will introduce this requirement in a controlled way and learn the lessons from implementation as we roll out the requirement to other categories of migrant.


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